One of my sisters has been suffering from schizophrenia for nearly ten years, over time she has become resistant to the antipsychotics currently available which recently led to her being hospitalised for 18 months. Although she is now home she is still being tormented on a daily basis and is struggling to get by.
Last week we reached out to the doctors conducting a study into a pioneering therapy which uses virtual avatars to help sufferers gain control of their auditory hallucinations. The results of the small pilot study were amazing with some patients reporting that their voices had stopped completely. They have since conducted a much larger study and are currently processing the results.
Here is a short report on the pilot study
Today I learned that they are willing to help her when the 3rd round of research begins. This is fantastic news for us all and hopefully the first steps to a fresh start for my sister.
If you would like to learn more about the avatar study you can visit the university college London's page on it here